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Living paycheck-to-paycheck creates countless terrifying moments.

Life is tough when you’re first starting out. Bills, roommates, low-paying jobs, car troubles … it all adds up to a life of constant stress. Sometimes it feels like no one understands what you’re going through. So here are 19 people sharing what it’s like to live paycheck to paycheck.

<p><strong>Jenna, 23</strong><br/>“It’s a lot of only buying one drink at the bar not because you don’t want to drink any longer but it’s all that you can afford.”<br/></p><p><strong>Sam, 24</strong><br/>“It really is exactly what it seems, working all day every day just to pay the bills, and barely manage to eat.”<br/></p><p><strong>Cara, 22</strong><br/>“Living paycheck to paycheck has caused me to resort to a ‘side hustle’ as us Millennials call it. That helps, but only so much.”<br/></p><p><strong>Jennifer, 23</strong><br/>“Living paycheck to paycheck is ‘I can’t come out tonight, having dinner with my parents again’ because I don’t have any other option if I want to eat good once this week.”<br/></p><p><strong>Sara, 24</strong><br/>“Living paycheck to paycheck brings upon terrifying moments of ‘Oh sh*t, rent is due in two days.’”<br/></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="759e10d4bd46de412cdfa4be7abd694b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="ef8ec" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTg3MjIxNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwMTIyNDY1NH0.tBARB1uCnMD8kAgcC8TbLMspw4kk53Y6bdEyStXSNpU/img.jpg?width=980"/>
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<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">via <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/30360073423/in/photolist-NfPj6M-8785JS-feUihs-23weSSD-9soFsZ-a8ZVEh-5LdNAG-XN686-9hBZMB-2cJQhWR-8x3Lzx-dFfrZm-61RybK-cAKJZq-9kQZkb-6wRjAQ-6zQN1b-6wM9KP-6zMWph-oN5H7-aHGUpr-dDJzV-gg41Je-cEomUh-cb6sAQ-4hgibf-b53JSi-6qYXpc-85JTya-5qVQG3-6NVU5a-6ykNf4-9sYpRo-8qmqD1-rFUTna-6h8zdo-atVz9V-a1ghXt-8tJLMi-eH51q4-atYePw-8qd9a4-aLPspp-atVzeM-eH4TvB-5LdNBJ-bW88Q7-zUPFc6-71EZib-4iwr5e" target="_blank">Thomas Hawk / Flickr</a></small>
</p><p><strong>Franny, 25</strong><br/>“I remember that one month I actually didn’t have enough for rent and had to call my landlord hysterically crying, pleading my case on why I needed another week. Thankfully he was very understanding.”<br/></p><p><strong>May, 22</strong><br/>“Living paycheck to paycheck is literally working a full week, paying all your bills and then having five dollars left to your name to show for it.”<br/></p><p><strong>Jenny, 24</strong><br/>“A struggle. That’s the best way to describe living paycheck to paycheck.”<br/></p><p><strong>Gab, 24</strong><br/>“When you’ve had an ‘instant meal’ six out of seven nights this week you know you are living paycheck to paycheck.”<br/></p><p><strong>Jackie, 24</strong><br/>“Not being able to afford to participate in group work functions, like holiday parties, secret Santa’s etc., is when you know you are being paid too little.”<br/></p><p><strong>Jennifer, 24</strong><br/>“I’ve been using the same mascara since my junior year of college, I graduated two years ago. That is living paycheck to paycheck.”<br/></p><p><strong>Maura, 22</strong><br/>“The sad moment when you have to call your parents for help because you can’t afford to put gas is the definition of paycheck to paycheck life.”<br/></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1f5c73d4dc553067886138aca6c13a52" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="8da8d" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTg3MjIxNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNjUwNzI5N30.C0DUeh54vdakgT8AO-8YEP9Vln0RzfjFnVqOPondIqk/img.jpg?width=980"/>
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<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">via <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/64443083@N00/14022156516/in/photolist-nn6dBf-76utQr-34Uq6d-YrBbR-rzX4ay-HtCFMv-6gigqm-4g5KZ-67ZyVv-UCVtWN-4g5Kj-f6RJ3X-cVFZwf-28mWcUC-8942Kq-2a5uhKs-82qzmA-6yAAuY-DcJi6-89v9o6-5NkspJ-KVnim-cGvF5d-9NCSka-nyyS6w-da9P6-caWGV3-7tW1JB-9mNBth-89afaR-9CaAAu-foPVDH-Fk7KUf-dvnEAN-8TPWfu-4CdCDs-8R8WQC-nPp9Fw-24GUCi-goEM8S-62kNRN-6mxND1-6Cy6q4-dvh6ak-9tx9xK-dvh5bc-jiYR-24MkBb-5YvEox-7faz5d" target="_blank">Jim McCombs / Flickr</a></small>
</p><p><strong>Michelle, 23</strong><br/>“I quit my job because I didn’t want to struggle anymore. I ended up moving back in with my parents and working for the family business. It was actually the best decision I had made.”<br/></p><p><strong>Nicole, 24</strong><br/>“You’re living paycheck to paycheck when you are still answering work emails at 11 PM but can’t afford a coffee the next morning. It is painful.”<br/></p><p><strong>Mary, 25</strong><br/>“I lived paycheck to paycheck for a while after college. The lights and TV never went on in my apartment for a good year.”<br/></p><p><strong>Cate, 24</strong><br/>“I ate ramen for dinner every night for the first six months at my job. I was lucky to get a pay increase so early on and when I did you bet I bought myself a fancy steak dinner.”<br/></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="64ae2ab1dae811a026d7c273c7eb9485" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="05a1f" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTg3NjU4Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzOTUyMTY1M30.f9ij_3WDXVBPKHOQh7X-nUa8DNOfHjqVIYrcdsnsAXw/img.jpg?width=980"/>
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<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">via <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mtarlock/3300705589/in/photolist-62EYM4-85MEXe-6WLjDh-5jBGRW-7ZkUUF-8RiYS-c5TQN-EhhsEV-5bTjn-SDKz7S-yNyfpP-EaSt7-tsay7h-S4bYus-qdT77v-qt1Y4L-NtL-i4VS9-bW7zMC-dFyKeZ-Nw65GW-Qj7qQh-fFVDBw-oucMhV-GdJMW-4AR2WR-fGWeoj-XnQmBf-4ugUur-qdRrox-SLaPYm-rBRtQ7-e1jLZe-2eUhRVk-qdKhhQ-bFJLKK-4kdrwX-pkgXQa-pyiGr5-9NMSYf-bDssTp-2ekfBNf-rmhj71-W7LS5Z-4TMh42-U3FggC-3dTydd-WkmsdB-4okeKr-4ugULX" target="_blank">Marc Turlock / Flickr</a></small>
</p><p><strong>Katie, 25</strong><br/>“I wouldn’t put the A/C on in the summer or heat on in the winter. Really unfortunate.”<br/></p><p><strong>Amanda, 25</strong><br/>“I lost a lot of weight during my time living paycheck to paycheck because I could barely afford to eat. Honestly, I can’t complain about it though.”<br/></p><p><strong>Amy, 24</strong><br/>“One word to describe living paycheck to paycheck. #sad.”<br/></p><p><strong>Melissa, 25</strong><br/>“Living paycheck to paycheck sucks but it is learning experience because eventually, you will realize there are better jobs out there that will pay better. Never settle.”<br/></p>